Become their wicked yet gentle lord.

"May I ask who you are?" Liu Xia looked around, but there seemed to be no other changes. Could it be that this was the only envoy from the capital?

"Ahhhhh!!!" However, the soft greeting seemed to startle the man in front of him. He suddenly trembled, looking at Ryuka with surprise and even a little embarrassment.

"Hello! I meant... good morning, no, good afternoon!"

The man seemed very reserved in front of Ryuka, who was much younger than him, which made Ryuka wonder if he was really a knight, since he didn't even notice that someone had come to his side.

"Good afternoon, sir. I am Liu Xia, the governor of Linhu Town."

Ryuga gave a perfunctory bow, looking at the man before her with suspicion, while Kania went to find Kira, who had returned the previous night.

“Baron, Baron Mills, hello Mr. Ryusha.” The man returned the greeting nervously, giving a somewhat憨厚 (honest and simple) smile. “So it’s true. The governor of Linhu Town is a young and promising gentleman, a knight even younger than my daughter… and a governor of a region at that. Truly a young and accomplished man…”

Does he have a surname? Is this stuttering, down-on-his-luck man a nobleman? He doesn't seem like one at all, but Ryuka still asked politely.

"May I ask who you are?"

"Um... how should I put it..." The man named Baron seemed quite embarrassed. Despite being in front of a boy much younger than himself, he was still very reserved and stammered as he introduced himself.

In short, this man named Baron Mills was a distant relative of Hetia, and also an imperial officer who had a noble surname but had fallen on hard times several generations ago.

He also brought with him the official document confirming Hetia's formal appointment as a viscount.

Since Hetia was under twenty years old, the legal age for nobles, imperial law required the appointment of an adult guardian from her family to manage the territory until she reached adulthood.

However, the Tartu family had no one else left. In such cases, a highly respected nobleman or military/political official would usually be appointed to act as regent. But the capital somehow found someone named Baron, who was somewhat related to the Tartu family.

“Um, this is Miss Tartu’s official letter of appointment, and my letter of commission…”

Baron pulled two crumpled letters from his pocket and nervously handed them to Ryusha, adding a sentence in a low voice.

"It's not fake. Miss Kira already verified it last night..."

Judging from his embarrassed appearance, he must have been questioned and suspected by the smiling tiger Kira quite a bit.

"Is that so..." Liu Xia had just opened the envelope and glanced at it when the man opposite her suddenly began to bow deeply.

"I'm sorry! I had no intention of fighting for control of the territory! To be honest, I only came here because I had no other choice!"

"I wouldn't even dare to dream of being Miss Tartu's guardian or managing her territory! I won't interfere in any affairs! Just give me a job! Anything is fine! Please! I'll leave once Miss Tartu comes of age! I won't bother you for long!"

Seeing the man's nervous demeanor, Ryuka was completely stunned. Although he wasn't the type to easily trust people, the man's overwhelming pitiful aura made even Ryuka feel a pang of sympathy... as if this man named Baron Mills possessed some kind of "pathetic aura"...

What on earth happened to this man...?

Chapter 11 A Letter of Peace

"I understand the situation. We'll have to wait for Miss Hetia to return. In the meantime, please get some rest and make yourself at home."

Ryusha took Hetia's letter and returned Baron's letter of appointment to him.

"OK, thanks……"

Hearing Baron's restrained voice, Ryusha left and soon arrived at Kira's office.

Looking at Kira, who had her hair up and was dressed casually, Ryuka cut to the chase: "What do you think about Baron's situation?"

"Let's observe first, it's better to be cautious. Doesn't he need to work? It's good to arrange a few people around him. Right now, this is more important..." Qila handed a letter to Liuxia as she entered.

Whether Baron Mills's claims are true and whether they will affect the territory remains to be seen, but the contents of this letter are more important.

"The Duke family crest?" Mei thought, "Is there any time left, or is there no time left, Lin?"

Ryuga gazed at the ornate and formal gold-embossed envelope, its intricate sword and halberd patterns, the soft texture of the high-quality paper, and the subtle fragrance of perfume, all of which spoke of the power and status of an earl.

The count's second son is still imprisoned in the dungeon of Linhu Town.

Kira nodded: "Yes, the Duke family asked Baron Mills to bring him here when he passed through Sochi."

"This uncle has even become a messenger?" Liu Xia's tone carried a hint of doubt. A messenger of one person, passing through Sochi City, meeting the Duke family, not to mention his strange words and actions and the reason for his arrival.

"Judging from the way he handed it to me, he didn't seem to understand the contents of the letter or the disputes here..." Kira shook her head, indicating that she felt that Baron might not be as complicated as Ryusha thought.

Ryuu is accustomed to suspecting conspiracy behind everything. "Never trust everything, but never be careless" is one of his principles, and Kira knows this better than anyone.

After all, she herself had undergone tests and trials by Liu Xia, both overt and covert, since arriving in Linhu Town. She was hired starting with simple trade duties and was gradually given more responsibilities and authority.

But the more this happened, the higher Kira's approval of Ryūka became. After all, few people would believe that a young boy could do a good job as governor. However, Ryūka's bold approach to personnel management was tempered with caution, allowing Kira, Anjaberg, and others to fully utilize their talents, while also maintaining a stable relationship with Melanie, who was originally his enemy.

Therefore, Kira was very fortunate that her boss was such a young man who, disregarding her heretical half-blood identity, put her in charge of the distribution of supplies among the villages and towns of Linhu Town. There was also external trade, dealings with the original merchants and landlords of Linhu Town, and recently, financial work was added, which relieved Kania of some burden.

As for Ryusha, he felt that Kira did indeed have management talent; she was not only excellent at business but could also be a logistics manager like Xiao He.

More importantly, she was intelligent, seeing through many things but not saying them aloud, focusing instead on utilizing her talents. She was also a pleasing, dark-skinned beauty; no subordinate wouldn't like such a person.

"The letter is addressed to Miss Hetia, the lord of Linhu Town. Would you like to open it?" Kira asked casually. She knew perfectly well who truly owned this place, Hetia or Ryusha. Although she didn't know how this young man had managed it, it didn't matter.

For Kira, Ryusha was the 'mentor' who saved her life, gave her and the slaves a place to live, and allowed her to display her talents.

Perhaps it's not just that. In Kira's heart, the words Ryuka said to her, "You don't need to beg me, you have to fight for it yourself," are unforgettable, even though she can guess that Ryuka was manipulating her little by little back then.

He's just too young. If he were a few years older, or if I were younger when I met him, it would be more suitable... Kira thought to herself, looking at the gentle-faced young man, unaware that the great mage Melanie, who was the same age as her, had already tasted the sweetness of love with this young man...

Ryūka opened the envelope, read it once, and handed it to Kira.

This sense of trust, being treated as one of her own, is something Kira greatly enjoys being around Ryūka. She knows that Ryūka and Hetia Kanya have that kind of relationship, and even though she doesn't have one with Kira, she chooses to trust her because of her abilities.

So Kira read it openly and prepared to offer her best advice to Ryukyu.

"Earl Duke wishes to arrange a meeting at the border between Sochi and Linhu territories. They have offered suggestions, but we can also choose again. The location must be a plain with no obstructions, and each side must have no more than ten attendants..."

"The talks... the ransom of his second son, Bran Duke, and the other prisoners of war, as well as discussions on peace and cooperation between the two territories... That's good; it seems Earl Duke is quite wavering in the succession conflict behind the scenes..."

As Kira recited, her gray-white eyebrows suddenly furrowed.

"I hope... that Miss Kira from the former Sochi City 'Silver Star Nocturne' will be present..."

She put down the letter and looked at Ryūka.

Kira dared not say why Count Duke had specifically requested her presence.

On the one hand, both he and his deceased mother were well-known figures in Sochi and had had several encounters with Count Duke. 'Silver Star Nocturne' was also a high-end hotel where upper-class people often gathered.

On the other hand, after leaving Sochi, she sheltered the runaway slaves and attacked Branduk in the conflict... There were many people present at the time, including free people and merchants, and Kira did not believe that there were any secrets that could be kept forever.

Hethia was a noble lord; Bran's provocation and subsequent defeat, making her a prisoner, was understandable. But Hethia, being a commoner, was guilty of attacking a noble, even without success—a capital offense by right…

Earl Duke desires peace because of the upheavals in the capital, but the concessions made by a powerful lord to a young and weak neighbor are so obvious…

Kira wasn't surprised if the other party demanded the punishment of a common woman to achieve a balance of dignity.

Conflicts between nobles often ended in bloodshed among commoners...

Kira understood why Ryūka had shown her this letter.

“I understand, if this is the price of peace…”

"What do you understand? I was just asking for your opinion, asking if you wanted to go, and the other party also said that they 'hoped' you could attend."

Ryuga blinked, interrupting Kira's whisper, then revealed a knowing smile.

Kira was speechless for a moment. As far as she was concerned, as long as she didn't pursue other slaves, she would accept this ending. After all, she was just an ordinary person and couldn't fight against two territories.

She thought that Liuxia was giving her face by showing her the letter so that she could bring it up gracefully.

But the smile on the boy's face didn't seem to suggest that.

Chapter 12 'Chariot'

"Don't overthink it. If it's about your matter, it's nothing. After all, I also laid a hand on Bran back then."

Ryusha shook her head and smiled, seemingly mocking Kira's overthinking.

“But you are the governor, and you and the lord’s daughter…” Kira gave a helpless smile. Her position was not comparable to that of Ryusha.

“You are now the internal affairs officer and trade official of Linhu Town. No one here has better abilities than you.”

Ryuka interrupted her again.

“What they want is a son and peace, and of course we can give them to them, as long as our attitude is reasonable.”

A reasonable attitude means not pursuing other matters.

The boy's relaxed yet firm tone reassured Kira somewhat, but she still gave a wry smile and asked, like an older sister questioning her younger brother:

"What if the other side just wants to maintain a balance of face? Or what if they go back on their word after ransoming the people? If war breaks out, you can't possibly be a match for the Sochi territory..."

“It’s ‘we’,” Ryuka corrected. “What, Miss Kira, don’t you think we’re together?”

Ryuka's feigned aggrieved expression left Kira speechless, then she was somewhat amused by her own anger.

"That's not what I meant! I meant... never mind..."

Kira felt a little tired, but also happy. She could just take Ryuka's words as youthful naiveté, but the fact that he valued her so much still made Kira very happy.

"Don't worry, if they really don't intend to resolve this peacefully, then handing you over will be the same. After all, they can go back on their word at any time. Besides, you've passed through Sochi quite a bit during your trade trips recently. If Earl Duke cared so much about 'a commoner attacking his son,' he would have already taken action."

Ryuka comforted Kira, then revealed a smug smile.

"As for whether a war will break out, I don't think so. You don't need to worry about that. After all, Anjaberg and I haven't been idle lately either."

"You and Anyaberg?" Kira asked with a questioning look. "Weren't you always busy with various construction projects?"

“Of course, but there are other things too. Anjaberg isn’t that motivated by civil engineering, but he’s very ambitious about developing magical machinery…”

Liuxia, keeping everyone in suspense, gestured an invitation to Qila.

"It's time you knew, since the upcoming trade projects will be related to these things. Come with me to the Magic Workshop..."

"What exactly do you want me to see?" Kira followed behind Ryusha, looking at the craftsmen and engineering students of the Imperial Military Academy who were busy with production.

This is the new magic workshop in Linhu Town, and this is Kira's first time here.

The original magic workshop was just on the edge of town, consisting of a few wooden houses. The yard outside was filled with carpentry and blacksmithing tools, and in the summer, the heat made it difficult to get close.

They were currently underground... in a place resembling a mine...

However, the thick layer of soil insulated against the summer heat, and if it weren't for the craftsmen's furnace, it would even feel cold.

However, the expensive magical lamps on the wall made the dim underground as bright as day, and the blue magical crystals inside luxuriously provided magical power, which even noble dogs and wealthy families would not be willing to waste.

"Weren't you curious before about why the nails, iron ore, and finished iron ingots I asked you to buy from outside didn't match the consumption we made for building houses and roads?"

Ryuka walked along the long corridor and came to a warehouse deep inside, where several engineering students were busy working.

"You know that too?" Kira blinked. She had only mentioned it while checking the ledger; Ryusha wasn't even there.

This kid seems to be quite cunning. The fact that she was allowed to come here today shows she trusts him enough.

"The answer is right here."

After greeting several excited engineering students, Ryuka arrived at the innermost door.

The gate opened, and two enormous carriage-like structures appeared before Kira.

Below are four pairs of huge wheels, and the vehicle body is a huge device made of steel and wood, while the interior shines with the light of magical crystals.

Although Kira didn't understand magical engineering, she understood why the thing in front of her was created.

war.

"This is... a tank?"

"more or less."

Liuxia stroked the cold outer shell and smiled with some relief.

"It's actually an enlarged variant of Anyaberg's magic gun, with a few pairs of wheels added. The current design still requires a warhorse to pull it."

Sure enough, looking at the chariot in front of her, Kira understood something.

“I knew it. Those iron ingots and ores you made me go through so much trouble to buy were for forging weapons. Those are controlled items in various territories, and it wasn’t easy for me to get them.”

But Kira still looked puzzled.

"I always thought you were going to forge armor and longswords to arm soldiers... but I don't understand... what's the use of this?"

Most importantly, Linhu Town doesn't have that many well-trained soldiers.

Ryūka slowly began to explain:

"The population and land area of ​​Sochi are several times that of us. It would take us several years to catch up in terms of military numbers. Instead of equipping a few dozen soldiers, we should do something more useful..."

"For example, this one uses the same principles as the Anyaberg Magic Gun in terms of combat, but for safety, especially considering the materials and structure, it has been simplified..."